Krug Clos du Mesnil 2000 Investment

History

Just five years after Joseph Krug founded the champagne house in 1843, he documented his great vision for Krug. In his notebook, he revealed the principles of creating a champagne of great richness and yet great elegance, of selecting only the finest elements from the greatest terroirs, rejecting mediocre fruit and making both a non-vintage and a vintage cuvée (revolutionary at the time). Discovered by Olivier Krug just four years ago, the ideals in this notebook and Krug's resolute commitment to them, has secured its position as the most luxurious and exclusive of all Champagnes.

Clos du Mesnil is the most famous vineyard in all of Champagne, and one of the finest Chardonnay sites outside the grand crus of Burgundy itself. In the heart of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, the vines were planted and the protective wall built in 1698; based on pure chalk, the east-facing slope achieves less ripeness than some of Le Mesnil's south-facing slopes, making it all the more suited to Krug's long-aging style. Krug purchased the plot in 1971, but not until the outstanding 1979 harvest, did Olivier's father suggest they should make a single wine; from one grape, one year, and one little garden.

Originally met with protest, for fear of ‘ruining the philosophy of Krug’, Olivier’s father persisted, made a test, and the house fell in love with the Champagne.

The 2000 Vintage

Krug Clos du Mesnil is an exceptionally rare cuvée, only released in vintage years deemed to successfully express the full potential of the plot. This scarcity is especially true of Clos du Mesnil 2000, which Krug calls 'the miracle wine' after a hailstorm destroyed half the vineyard and only 11,390 bottles were produced. The fruit that survived escaped with remarkable endurance and is still fresh at 15 years of age.

Since it hit the market in November 2011, it has received continuous and improving approval. Jancis Robinson MW tasted it just a few months after release and noticed its potential early, scoring it 18.5/20: “more generous on the palate than the 1998 … austere at the moment but very promising.” Praise continued over the next few years, before it eventually received its first perfect score, when Tyson Stelzer released his definitive handbook The Champagne Guide 2014-15. Rating it 100/100, he commented, “In all Champagne, I have not tasted a wine of such earth-shaking minerality as Clos du Mesnil 2000.”

Market Value

The similarly rated Krug Clos du Mesnil 1988, which was scored 18.5 by Jancis Robinson MW and 100/100 by Antonio Galloni has experienced fantastic price appreciation over the past 5 years and offers some indication of how the 2000 might perform. Rising in value from £7,848 to £14,400, the 1998 Clos du Mesnil experienced an impressive 83.5% market price increase in the 5 years since 2010.

Further, it is not just the 1988 vintage that has performed well. The table below shows the average market price percentage increase of the most recent Clos du Mesnil vintages, in the last 5 years.

Krug Clos du Mesnil 5-Year Market Performance

Vintage

Av. Market Price Increase

1988

83.5%

1989

59.6%

1990

48.5%

1992

95.2%

1995

60.5%

1996

24.2%

1998

6.8%

Remarkably consistent market performance, unwavering positive critique and the extreme rarity of Krug Clos du Mesnil, all play a large role in collector’s appeal for this wine. And with Champagne consumption levels at an all-time high, Krug Clos du Mesnil 2000 has the potential to be a strong medium-long term performer.

Tyson Stelzer, The Champagne Guide - 100/100 - "There is no fingerprint of place more pronounced than the mineral voice of the soil that resonates in the most distinctive champagnes. In all Champagne I have not tasted a wine of such earth-shaking minerality as Clos du Mesnil 2000. It rumbles to the very core of the earth deep below the mesmerising site, then rises on the finish, like a shard of pure chalk erupting from the surface of the Clos itself."

Jancis Robinson MW, Jancis Robinson.com - 18.5/20 - "There was no heatwave in 2000 but overall the summer was quite warm. This will be the next Clos du Mesnil to be released, but actually I found it a little more generous on the palate than the 1998, even if less developed on the nose. More discreet nose but impressively introvert. Broad on the palate but still very dry on the finish. Austere at the moment but very promising."

Wine Valuation & Selling

Customers who purchase from The Finest Bubble and cellar with us will have access to independent valuation data from Liv-ex for Champagne held in their reserves through an online personal account. When you come to sell your Champagne, The Finest Bubble may make an offer to buy depending on market conditions, however you are not tied to selling through us. If you need us to assist in selling the champagne we can do this for a 4% charge. There are no costs for providing this valuation information.

Financial Risk

We have presented information that shows the historical case for Krug Clos du Mesnil as an investment and any forward looking statements are forecasts and not guarantees. Since the value of any investment can go down as well as up we recommend you consult with an accredited financial expert before making investment decisions.

Our Help

We are able to help you with our opinion on what champagnes and which vintages we believe offer the right qualities to consider cellaring for 5-10 years and help with up to the minute market data showing valuations, trends and transaction quantity for every champagne. We are not able to offer financial advice or advice on investments.

Contact Us

To discuss this further please contact Nick or Chris 020 7359 1608 or email us via the contact page.